Mutational Analysis of Myoclonin1 Gene in Pakistani Juvenile Myoclonic Epilepsy Patients
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Hindawi BioMed Research International Volume 2021, Article ID 7509825, 6 pages https://doi.org/10.1155/2021/7509825 Research Article Mutational Analysis of Myoclonin1 Gene in Pakistani Juvenile Myoclonic Epilepsy Patients Tayyaba Saleem , Arooj Mustafa , Nadeem Sheikh , Maryam Mukhtar , Mavra Irfan , and Saira Kainat Suqaina Cell and Molecular Biology Laboratory, Department of Zoology, University of the Punjab, Lahore 54590, Pakistan Correspondence should be addressed to Nadeem Sheikh; [email protected] Received 22 July 2020; Revised 3 February 2021; Accepted 10 April 2021; Published 21 April 2021 Academic Editor: Bilal ig Copyright © 2021 Tayyaba Saleem et al. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. Juvenile myoclonic epilepsy (JME) is the most prevalent and genetically heterogeneous form of epilepsy and accounts for 10–30% of all the cases worldwide. Ef-hand domain- (c-terminal-) containing protein 1 (EFHC1) encodes for a nonion channel protein and mutations in this gene have been extensively reported in different populations to play a causative role in JME. Linkage between JME and 6p11-12 locus has already been confirmed in Mexican and Dutch families. A case-control study was conducted on Pakistani JME patients for the first time, aimed at finding out EFHC1 mutations that have been reported in different populations. For this purpose, 66 clinically diagnosed JME patients and 108 control subjects were included in the study. Blood samples were collected from all the participants, and DNA was isolated from the lymphocytes by the modified organic method. Total 3 exons of EFHC1, harboring extensively reported mutations, were selected for genotypic analysis. We identified three heterozygous variants, R159W, V460A, P436P, and one insertion in the current study. V460A, an uncommon variant identified herein, has recently been reported in public databases in an unphenotyped American individual. This missense variant was found in 3 Pakistani JME patients from 2 unrelated families. However, in silico analysis showed that V460A may possibly be a neutral variant. While the absence of a majority of previously reported mutations in our population suggests that most of the mutations of EFHC1 are confined to particular ethnicities and are not evenly distributed across the world. However, to imply the causation, the whole gene and larger number of JME patients should be screened in this understudied population. 1. Introduction regular basis but upon discontinuation of medication, a high recurrence rate has been reported in various studies [5, 6]. Juvenile myoclonic epilepsy (JME) is the most prevalent form JME seizures occur in adolescents with the typical onset of genetic generalized epilepsy and accounts for at least age of 12-18 years [7]. It has been found more prevalent 10–30% of all epilepsies [1, 2]. JME alone is responsible for in females than in males (23). Till date, mutations in eight 2 million cases in India [3]. No epidemiological data of Mendelian genes (gamma-aminobutyric acid receptor JME is present for Pakistan, so the exact prevalence is not subunit alpha-1; GABRA1, calcium-sensing receptor; CASR, known yet. JME is typified by myoclonic jerks that predom- gamma-aminobutyric acid receptor, delta; GABRD, calcium inantly occur after waking, generalized tonic–clonic (GTC) channel, voltage-dependent, beta-4 subunit; CACNB4, ef- seizures, and infrequent absence seizures [4]. Epileptologists hand domain- (c-terminal-) containing protein 2; EFHC2, follow the varied criteria for JME diagnosis but the key diag- bromodomain-containing protein 2; BRD2, sodium chan- nostic feature, according to all epileptologists is the same that nel, voltage-gated, type i, beta subunit; SCN1B, and ef- all JME patients experience myoclonic seizures with or with- hand domain (c-terminal)-containing protein 1; EFHC1) out GTCS and absence seizure in the early morning. Typical have been identified which are linked with JME [8, 9]. So EEG symptom for JME is considered as polyspike wave pat- far, heterozygous mutations in the coding sequence of tern of >4 Hz with normal background activity. Seizures are EFHC1/Myoclonin1 are persistent, causing JME including well controlled when the patient follows the prescription on autosomal dominant, singleton, and sporadic cases in 2 BioMed Research International various independent families around the world [7, 10, 11]. Table 1: Clinical characters of the JME patients. Genetic studies have affirmed that mutations in EFHC1 con- N stitute 3 to 9% of all the JME cases all over the world [12]. Character EFHC1 gene consisting of 11 exons encodes a 70 kDa protein Gender 66 of 640 amino acids containing three DM10 domains, a motif Female 27 with unknown function, and an EF-hand Ca2+-binding Male 39 motif. EFHC1 modulates the apoptotic activity by interacting mean ± SD 17 ± 3:33 with R-type voltage-dependent calcium channels. Thus, the Age years ( ) mutations in EFHC1 interfere with the apoptotic activity of Female 16 ± 3:12 this gene by increasing the neuronal density leading to the Male 15 ± 3:24 production of hyperexcitable circuits [13]. Interestingly, EFHC1 mutations are not limited to JME Seizure type but it has also been identified in different idiopathic general- Myoclonic seizures 66 ized epilepsies and temporal lobe epilepsy. EFHC1 mutations GTCS 50 may be considered pleiotropic due to their involvement in Absence seizures 6 various epilepsy phenotypes [14]. EFHC1 (a microtubule- Absence+myoclonic 2 associated protein) plays a vital role in radial migration and Absence + myoclonic + GTCS 4 cell division during cerebral corticogenesis. Functional anal- ysis of various mutations has established that mutant EFHC1 Myoclonic+GTCS 46 impairs mitotic spindle organization and affects the mor- Myoclonic seizures alone 14 phology of radial glia that further leads to disruption of the Distribution of myoclonic jerks radial and tangential migration. Mutations in the EFHC1 Upper extremities 57 gene potentially produce structural brain anomalies due to Lower extremities 09 disruption in brain development [15]. Several studies have indicated that mutations in neuro- Precipitating factors transmitter receptors and ion channel genes are linked with Sleep deprivation 39 JME. The mutations that have been reported in these genes Fatigue 21 were private mutations, only found in single families and Stress 11 typically of de novo origin, that are not spotted in biological parents. Importantly, these de novo mutations (DNMs) were Family history not detected in other family-based association studies for 1st-degree relatives 11 JME in the same or different ethnicities [16]. Consequently, 2nd-degree relatives 17 mutations in genes coding for ion channel proteins cannot be accounted as the common cause of JME. EFHC1 is consid- ered as a potential candidate gene for JME and has been is indispensable to ascribe causation [20]. Therefore, to found very interesting in many aspects. First, EFHC1 is the ascertain whether the different variants of the EFHC1 gene only gene in which mutations were found in many unrelated contribute to JME in Pakistani patients, we genotyped 3 families with JME across the world, and second, no ion chan- important exons of this gene on which mutations had been nel protein is coded by it as usually the case in epilepsy [17]. reported extensively in previous genetic studies. This presents a new perspective to the pathophysiology of JME and genetic epilepsy as a whole. However, Pinto et al. 2. Materials and Methods found 6p12–11 loci very heterogeneous and reported EFHC1 mutations nonexistent in 112 Dutch patients of JME [18]. 2.1. Subjects. 66 Pakistani patients with JME were selected for Hence, it can be presumed that JME may be caused by muta- the current study from two different hospitals of Punjab, tions in multiple genes, which may vary between populations Pakistan, who were visiting the outpatient department from of different ethnic origins. Mapping of 6p12–11 loci in a large September 2018 to November 2019. All JME patients were Belize family with JME revealed a common EFHC1 polymor- diagnosed by neurologists by the following criteria. The onset phism present in higher frequency than in healthy individ- of myoclonic seizures varied between 8 and 20 years age uals, cosegregating with juvenile myoclonic epilepsy. When bracket. Patients experienced short bilateral myoclonic jerks the cell death analysis mediated by EFHC1 was judged, it of shoulders and arms without losing consciousness just after was evident that this common polymorphism had no effect awakening. Interictal electroencephalography (EEG) of the on protein function, prospecting the involvement of other patients showed diffused, bilateral synchronous, and 4-6 Hz nearby mutations accountable for JME in this family [19]. polyspike waves with normal background, provoked by Several studies had questioned the mutation-specific patho- photic stimulation [21, 22]. Furthermore, patients with focal genic effects of the EFHC1 gene linked to JME. Subaran seizures, mental retardation, or with a suggestion of any et al. highlighted that the pathogenicity of EFHC1 mutations degenerative disease were excluded from this study. This may depend on heterogeneity in terms of the genetic back- study was approved by the Bioethics Committee of Univer- ground of the ethnic group considered for the study. Fur- sity of the Punjab, Lahore, Pakistan. Written informed con- thermore, this study cautions us that compelling evidence sent was signed by all the patients/guardians before taking BioMed Research International 3 Table 2: Variants identified by sequencing the exons of EFHC1 in Pakistani JME patients. Genotype counts/(no. of No. Region NCBI dbSNP ID Nucleotide change Amino acid change Molecular consequence subjects) JME probands Control subjects 1 Exon 3 rs3804506 475C > T R159W Missense 19/66 11/108 2 Intron 5 rs1581829739 c:723 + 18 723 + 19insG N/A Unknown 1/66 0/108 3 Exon 8 rs764251038 1436 T > C V460A Missense 3/66 0/108 4 Exon 8 rs1581846971 1365T > C P436P Synonymous 2/66 0/108 the blood sample.